As usual... I own nothing but Alya and her family...

The next day was difficult for all of them, as Miriam and Alya tended to their chores ( and sometimes undoing the chores which were done by Haytham, the youngest boy of their family).

Later in the afternoon, Alya began a trek to the well to gather more water for preparing the evening meal. The sun had begun its decent; the shadows were longer and the light softer as she went through the sands. Normally she would be walking with several other women and girls but today she was slightly behind them all and as she arrived they were nearly ready to leave.

A cheerful girl laughingly called out to Alya. "Welcome, friend! You are late today!"

Alya smiled and waved back to her friend as she approached the well. "Greetings, Safiyyah. I have not seen you all day."

Her brown eyes twinkled. "There has been much to do today in my tent… but," she lowered her voice as not to be overheard. "I hear that the Al Khoutha is soon to take place for the Bey family." She stood on her toes to reach Alya's height. "Aasim has been speaking to several close friends, as well as his brother."

Alya felt a blush creep up her neck, and onto her face. "Really, Safiyyah? I had not heard." Thankfully at this moment the woman in front of her finished and Alya busied herself with tying the rope to her jug, making sure that it was attached very tightly.

"Oh yes! My father witnessed him speaking to his brother this morning, and told my mother! It is all so exciting; there hasn't been a wedding in so long! Do you have any idea who it could be?"

Alya shrugged her shoulders non-committaly and attempted to tune out her talkative best friend. A sudden motion caught her eye, and she looked quickly at it to revel… a rock. Shaking her head, she lowered the jug down into the well. There it was again; just a slight movement this time. Alya forced herself to look only with her peripheral vision, and she watched as the shadow slide down the rock. Her first thought was that it must be an animal of some form, perhaps a snake? No, the movement was too large. There was only one option and she knew it; after all no animal knew how to use the sun's light and a rock to hide their movements. A glint of silver hit her eyes, and she felt her stomach twist with the realization that these were men and they were obviously dangerous and up to no good. Suppressing an urge to run, she forced herself to listen to the speech of her friend as her mind began to race through her options.

"- And it can't be Samira because she is being given in marriage to a man in another tribe."

Forcing herself to nod, and willing her feet into action she began back towards the encampment, a mere ten to twelve feet away from where they were. It might as well have been the other side of the world.

"Alya are you alright?" Safiyyah's dark eyes went to her friends pale face, and she touched her arm. "You seem almost ill. Is the sun affecting you?"

Her lips didn't want to form a smile but she managed to do it. "Yes, yes, I am fine. Just in a hurry. Malik let Haytham water the goats today, and he used all that was left. Umma and I cannot make moraras until I get back with this." She shrugged her shoulder to indicate the jug she carried.

Safiyyah giggled. "I see. That had to be interesting."

Alya forced another smile as she reached her family's tent, and sped up a slight bit. "I will see you tomorrow, Safiyyah."

Her friend nodded and began to sing as she headed to her family's tent, located on the other side of the encampment from Alya's. Alya hurriedly ducked inside with the jug (thankfully Zaharah was sitting in the entrance to the maharama or the woman's portion of the tent and so she quickly passed it off to her with the instruction to take it immediately to Umma and not let Haytham touch it; before hurrying towards the main area of camp where she hoped to find her father or one of her brothers.

Everything about the evening seemed normal. The delicious scents of food wafted on the evening breeze, accompanied by children's laughter as they played among the tents under the watchful eyes of the women. Everyone seemed to be in a pleasant mood tonight; there was much singing and Alya even heard a few instruments being played. She quietly declined the invitations she received to come to the tent and rest a moment, saying that she must find her father, it was urgent. No one had seen Malik or her father; Yusef and Rayhan were both on patrols this month so not finding them was normal. Strolling around a tent, she saw the answer to her prayers standing before an older widow's fire; Ardeth was speaking to her youngest son. Her stomach uncoiled from the knot it had been in as soon as he made it way towards her.

"Alya?" he said. "What is wrong? Are you alright?"

"No…" she shook her head, "While I was getting water I saw men surrounding the camp. I don't know how many. But I do know that no friends of ours would be hiding that way."

Ardeth nodded. "I understand." A smile lit his face. "We will surprise the ambushers." He began to laugh.

Alya stomped her foot. "Ardeth it is not funny! People will get hurt, or killed!" She turned her head from him, unable to meet his eyes.

His eyes sobered, and he reached for her face but thought better of it. "Alya, we do not mind being harmed or dying for the tribe, it is the duty of men to protect women and children."

"I know-"she began but he stopped her.

"I would rather die a thousand deaths than see you harmed, my love." His eyes bored into hers. "Please do not worry about me, I will be fine."

"As long as I am not left alone." She whispered, looking down at the sand around her feet.

His reply was strangely familiar to her ears. "Where one of us goes so does the other. It has always been this way, and that will not change." He turned to go. "I must hurry, love." A grin came to his face. "Your mother could probably use some help undoing whatever damage Haytham has caused now."

Against her will she felt a smile creep onto her face at the thought of her youngest brother, and his interesting take on life. She turned and returned to her camp, stomach still in knots, but at least now they were smaller ones.